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Hospital cleaning has become a science

Summer 2013

Originally, the connection between the cleanliness of a hospital environment and patient outcomes was not known and hospital rooms were cleaned primarily for aesthetic purposes. Today, there is science behind the importance of effective cleaning and the impact it has on reducing the spread of infection in a hospital. At London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), we have a department dedicated to keeping the environmental surfaces of patient rooms and patient care spaces safe from these infectious germs.

Only trained cleaning specialists are authorized to clean patient roomsA dedicated team of environmental service workers (ESWs) are responsible for cleaning patient rooms as well as the neighbouring areas within patient care units at LHSC. ESWs are deployed throughout the hospital on a 24/7 basis. The scope of the ESW role goes beyond that of an average cleaning professional as they are an important partner in infection control, assisting in reducing the spread of harmful germs within our hospitals.

Patient room cleaning is rigorous in the hospitalThe cleaning of a typical patient room takes place on a daily basis and involves removing garbage (including any biohazard and medical waste) and cleaning washrooms, floors and high touch point surfaces such as door handles, light switches, bedrails, bedside tables and patient equipment.

ESWs follow an evidence-based set of cleaning principles which include:

Assessing safety and mitigating risk for staff, patients, families and visitors – including proper hand hygiene and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment

Friction/mechanical action is essential in effective cleaning

Work is completed from high areas to low areas

Dwell time of specific cleaning chemicals (the amount of time a chemical needs to be applied before wiping to be effective) is observed

Mop/cloth changes and replacements are frequent and appropriate to the task

Cleaning practices are monitored and audited on a random basis, with over 100 audits completed monthly and reviewed with staff to improve cleaning practices

As well, a specialized cleaning team that is dedicated to antibiotic resistant organisms is in place to clean any rooms where the patient has been placed in isolation or is under any other special precautions related to suspected infection. Specific chemicals are used to clean these rooms to best prevent any spread of infection

When patients are discharged from the hospital, a further in-depth clean occurs before a new patient is admitted to the room. On average, these cleans take 45-60 minutes to complete depending on the complexity of the room and equipment.

As the science of cleaning continues to evolve, LHSC’s environmental support services department is committed to reviewing evidence-based practice, the chemistry of cleaning products and emerging science and technology, all of which improve the ability to work efficiently while providing the best cleaning outcomes.

Patients can expect a greeting from the cleaning staff during their stayStaying in a hospital can be a stressful and even scary experience. Unfamiliar or unfriendly faces entering and exiting your room without explanation can be a further source of stress and anxiety, so to ensure a more positive experience, patients can expect to receive a warm hello and an introduction from the ESW team member as well as an explanation of what they are there to do.

Cleaning by the numbers

Environmental Service Workers (ESWs) are responsible for cleaning 3.5 million square feet of LHSC’s hospitals

More than 5,000 patient room cleans are completed monthly

Patient beds in the emergency departments are cleaned over 300 times daily

ESWs provide cleaning support to 52 different clinical areas

ESWs are knowledgeable in the safe disposal of biomedical and cytotoxic wastes

Coming soon!

In July, a new initiative will be launched to enhance the patient experience for paediatric and oncology patients. ESW staff will be leaving a “towel animal” card on the patient’s bed after the room has been cleaned. Similar to a cruise ship experience, the towel animal card will serve as an indicator that the room has been cleaned as well as symbolize excellence in customer service.

The card will also include the name of the ESW who cleaned the room and additional information for patients and their families on infection control, hand hygiene and cleaning tips that can be applied to their home environment.